Atlanta Got One Reserve Season From George Johnson
The September 27, 1982 deal sent George Johnson from San Antonio to Atlanta for Jim Johnstone plus second-round picks in 1983 and 1985.
Johnson was a veteran defensive center, but his Atlanta return was limited. He played 37 regular-season games in 1982-83, made no starts and averaged 12.5 minutes, 1.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
He did not play in 1983-84 after refusing to attend Hawks training camp without a guaranteed contract. He later resumed his career with New Jersey, so Atlanta receives credit only for those 37 games.
Johnstone and Lockhart Barely Played for San Antonio
Johnstone appeared in seven regular-season games for the Spurs in 1982-83, all off the bench, averaging 7.7 minutes and 1.0 point. His San Antonio tenure ended quickly.
The 1983 second-round pick landed at No. 35, where San Antonio selected Darrell Lockhart. Lockhart played only two regular-season games for the Spurs, made no starts and was waived on November 4, 1983.
Those two branches produced just nine direct Spurs games.
The 1985 Pick Became a Useful Trade Asset
The legacy archive entry identifies the 1985 second-round pick as No. 31 Manute Bol. That terminal draft result is correct, but it does not mean Bol played for San Antonio.
On January 20, 1984, the Spurs traded the future second-round pick to Golden State for Ron Brewer. Brewer then played 40 games for San Antonio in 1983-84 and nine more in 1984-85, starting five total and averaging 8.7 points in his first Spurs stint.
That gives San Antonio 49 regular-season games from the direct downstream conversion of the pick.
Manute Bol Belongs to the Later Washington Branch
Golden State later moved the pick to Washington, and the Bullets used No. 31 in the 1985 draft on Manute Bol.
This review preserves Bol as the terminal pick identity but does not credit his Washington career to San Antonio. The Spurs had already converted the asset into Brewer more than a year before the draft.
This distinction avoids overstating San Antonio's return while still recognizing that the 1985 pick carried real transaction value.
Why San Antonio Wins Slightly
Atlanta received 37 reserve games from Johnson. San Antonio received seven games from Johnstone, two from Lockhart and 49 from Brewer through the directly traceable second-round-pick conversion.
The total Spurs basketball return was still modest, but it was broader and lasted longer than Johnson's single Atlanta season.
Final Verdict
Spurs Win, B-/C. San Antonio receives a B- because the original player and 1983 pick produced little, but the 1985 pick was successfully converted into 49 games of Ron Brewer. Atlanta receives a C because Johnson supplied useful shot-blocking depth for 37 games but never played a second season for the Hawks.